This invention relates to a tuner component module within a home network, in particular within a home network based on the HAVi standard, which is adapted to support the access of transmitted items. A tuner controlled via a network is accessed in a HAVi network via its tuner component module (FCM) which presents one or more application programming interfaces (APIs) to other elements within the home network.
Within the HAVi specification. e.g. in the version HAVi10Bn1 of Dec. 10, 1998, several APIs are defined for a tuner functional component module (tuner FCM). These APIs allow only a very simple control of a tuner device within the home network. Basically, the tuner device can only provide un-named and unspecified lists of items, i.e. services or channels, which can be selected via the network. A selected item will then be received and distributed within the network by the tuner device.
In the above identified version of the HAVi specification an item is referred to by a descriptive name thereof. The meaning of this value is dependent on the tuner. An item could e. g. be the channel number, the service name or the frequency for a certain service. Each item is uniquely identified by a predefined index number. A GetItemList API returns a list of items and indexes available from the tuner. A SelectItem API allows the selection of an item which is identified by its index number and causes the output of said selected item by the tuner to a specified plug. Output in this sense means to append or remove the selected item to/from the data stream to this specified plug. A GetCurrentItem API returns a list of items and indexes currently being output to a specified plug and an ItemChanged API notifies a change in items of a specified plug. Furtheron, a tuner notification attribute itemSelection is defined which provides new settings of item selections on the tuner output plug.
Therefore, the object of the present invention to provide a tuner component module providing an improved control of a tuner in the home network. This object is solved by a tuner component module according to claim 1 which has means to access at least one component and/or event transmitted within one item and/or to show its capability.
Therefore, according to the present invention a tuner component module adapted to the HAVi standard. i.e. a tuner FCM, includes the functionality to provide its capability and/or to introduce the DVB/DTV concepts of components and events to the HAVi network. In this context components could audio, video or data streams associated with a service and events could e. g. be information for an electronic programming guide (EPG). The capability of the tuner component module in this context are all supported functions.
Preferred embodiments of the present invention are defined in the subclaims 2 to 11 which define APIs for the access of components and events as well as a structure providing the kind of an item, such as TV, radio or data.